Bryan, a Raleigh native, announced his plans to transfer from the 49ers last week after one season. The 6-foot-7, 224-pound forward averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game in 2013-2014.

Bryan would sit out in 2014-2015 and have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Adding the forward would shore up a corps of big men that should have some depth going forward.

The group loses starter Shane Reybold to graduation for next season but adds Tennessee transfer Yemi Makanjuola. The only front court player slated to be a senior in 2014-2015 is Cedrick Williams, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder in Buzz Peterson’s final season. Bryan could help fill his void when he becomes eligible in 2015-2016.

It’s unclear how UNCW will juggle scholarships to fit Bryan on the roster. The team’s roster seemed set at 13 scholarship players for next season with the addition of freshman point guards Malik Pugh and Jordon Talley and Jacksonville transfer Jarvis Haywood.

Late last month, Keatts said he didn’t expect any of the returning players to leave, but he’d continue looking at outside options.

“With the landscape of where college basketball is and because there are 500-some guys on the (Division-I) transfer list, you just can’t be blind-sided,” Keatts said. “I think you have to continue just to recruit, and you never know.”

About This Blog

Hey there, I’m StarNews staff writer Eric Detweiler, and I handle the UNCW beat. I’m a Pennyslvania native who went to the University of Maryland and came to Wilmington in August 2013 after stops in Denver and Washington, D.C. Feel free to reach out with questions or comments about our coverage of the Seahawks. Thanks for reading.